ABC names the first black Bachelor in the show’s 18-YEAR history, former football player Matt James – after stars came out to slam the franchise for a lack of diversity
- Matt, 28, from North Carolina, has been announced as the star of the 25th season of The Bachelor
- He was originally cast as a suitor on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, in which he features as one of several men trying to woo Clare Crawley
- Production on the show was halted amid the coronavirus pandemic, however ABC announced on Friday that it has already cast Matt as the next Bachelor
- Several former stars of the franchise have called out ABC for failing to focus on inclusivity and diversity in former seasons
- Rachel Lindsay, the only black Bachelorette in the show’s history accused ABC of ‘white-washing’ the popular reality series
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
ABC has announced that the new season of The Bachelor will feature the show’s first ever black star – former professional football player Matt James.
The 28-year-old was named as the new lead for the popular reality franchise, and will feature in the 25th season of the hit show. But while he follows in the footsteps of dozens of other men, Matt is the first ever black Bachelor in the series’ 18-year history.
His casting comes in the wake of global protests in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and amid a very public outcry over the lack of diversity and inclusivity in The Bachelor franchise – led by some of its former stars.
On the rise: ABC has named its first ever black Bachelor, former football player Matt James
Matt, who is from North Carolina but now lives in New York City, was originally cast by ABC to star in the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, in which he features alongside several men vying to win the heart of former Bachelor star Clare Crawley.
But while production of the latest season of the show was put on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic, producers announced on Friday that Matt had already proven himself to be the ‘perfect Bachelor’.
‘When filming [on Clare’s season of The Bachelorette] couldn’t move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor,’ ABC Entertainment’s president Karey Burke told GMA.
As well as appearing on The Bachelorette, real estate broker Matt – who attended Wake Forest University, where he played wide receiver for the school’s football team – has another close connection to the ABC franchise.
The former football player is close pals with former stars, fellow Wake Forest alum Tyler Cameron, and Hannah Brown, who recently came under fire for saying the N-word in a social media video while rapping along to DaBaby song Rockstar.
Matt even quarantined with Tyler and Hannah for several weeks in March, when the trio formed a self-described ‘Quarantine Crew’ with a few other friends who all holed up together in Tyler’s home in Jupiter, Florida.
Buddies: The 28-year-old is already close friends with Bachelor alum Tyler Cameron, and the two spent several weeks quarantining together with friends in March
When he isn’t starring in or hanging out with alumni of The Bachelor franchise however, Matt boasts a successful career as a broker for commercial real estate company CBRE, where he has worked since 2017.
He also founded ABC Food Tours, an organization that ‘finds creative ways to engage kids in underserved communities’ in New York City, providing them with unique experiences in the city, while also encouraging them to engage in physical activities and mental wellness.
Before moving to Manhattan however, Matt spent a few months playing football professionally for the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints.
The Bachelor star also boasts an impressive background in finance, having spent more than a year working as an analyst for PNC, after previously landing roles at Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch during his time in college.
ABC’s announcement of Matt as the next Bachelor comes in the wake of furious public outcry over the ‘white-washing’ of the popular TV franchise – which was led by former star Rachel Lindsay, the only black Bachelorette in the show’s history.